For all of history the forces of the Light and the Dark have battled for the devotion of mortal souls. A balance had been maintained between the two allowing for both good and evil to exist in the world. Many generations ago, even for the Elfs, the forces of the Dark managed to get the upper hand.
Brutal battles raged for years. The non-evil races were pushed farther and farther back fleeing the Dark forces and the dense black fog that followed them. The Light's forces finally made a stand around an inland sea that has since become called the Middle Sea. The Dark's forces have held a line around the Middle Sea since then.
The Kingdom of Kogendia is undergoing quite rapid social change. The old nobility, the King, the Jarls, and their Thanes, are losing ground to a growing middle class of merchants and craftsmen. While these tradesmen hold no legal authority, the massive amounts of money they have, and continue, to amass has given them power that the nobles can no longer ignore.
The tradesmen have organized themselves into guilds and colleges. There are 8 major guilds: The Legal Guild, Linen Merchants, Wool Merchants, Silk Merchants, Fine Leather Merchants, The Banking Guild, The Medical Guild, and the Mages Guild. The remainder of the trades are grouped into 4 colleges: the College of Bread and Meat(food and fiber production and distribution), The College of Artificers(locksmiths, black and white smiths, and everyone else that works with wood or stone), The College of Leather(cobblers, tanners, and saddlers), and The College of Linens(retailers, tailors, and those in the hospitality industry). These divisions have political reasons you will have to uncover.
There is one guild that operates outside of the normal guild structure. That guild is the Mercenary's Guild. They provide guards, watchmen, the city watch, etc. for the towns and people of Kogendia. They even provide soldiers to those with the coin. They also have a branch they call specialists. The specialists handle assignments that are short-term in duration and too dangerous for most of their members to want to deal with. You are a newly recruited specialist. Welcome to the Corps.
Honnestad is home to many tradesmen. Most of them work with wool and timber, but there are a good smattering of other trades here. Nothing fancy, but the people can get what they want in a reasonable amount of time.
Last Time
A messanger arrived at the gates of the keep. After delivering his message, the courtier exploded, kocking Ivar into a coma, and covering the courtyard in viscera. The script matched the previous letters we had found. A map pointed us to a location to the south; an abandoned compound with an asylum in the center. All manner of horror waited for our heroes.
Delving into the ruin, the area seemed strange. Discovering a number of secret doors allowed exploration, but did not prepare the party for the horrid creatures within. Scorpions, crafted of human bodies, guarded the inner sanctum. Destroying the monsters, our heroes discovered the vampire's resting place - empty. Once Ivar recovers, the report can be submitted. -Sam "Durk" Tuck
Born to the Smith's guild, Durk Hammerfell made a living with his father, working the forges. Despite being a dwarf and being at home in the heart of the furnace, Durk wanted to branch out; to see what was beyond the walls of his home. When the Mercenary Guild began recruiting, Durk followed the call of Barus Bellum. Taking with him his hammer, and gifted the Shield of his father, the bold and fiery dwarf set on on adventure, promising to return home with riches, glory, and story
At a young age she was separated from her family. Spent a lot of time living on her own and off the land, where eventually she would meet her druidic mentor and come to live with her people. After many years, she found herself yearning for exploration. Her life seemed stagnant, easy. So she continued to wander alone. Eventually in her travels, her skills became recognized and she was recruited to be a mercenary.
Ufear was born to a family of dwarfish jewel craftsmen. His parents were able to afford for decent education and a few luxuries time to time. However the mountain dwarfs lost their ancestral homes deep in the mountains to the impending darkness. causing them to live closer to other cultures while struggling to hold to their own. The life of the displaced peoples has a way of shaping extreme ideologies. Ufear sought involvement with the Deep Ones, a Dwarf Pride group. The group is small and in its infancy,but they are secretive and maintain a more local political agenda. Ufear received some initial training from them in adolescence because of family ties, and is considering full membership. He currently wishes to prove his abilities for the time being.
Mia was born into a merchant family. Her mother and father belong to the college of leather. Hoping to follow in their footsteps one day, Mia learned to hunt from a very young age as well as skin. She decided to travel for a bit and joined the mercenary guild, learning all that she can about how communications and networking work while sharpening her hunting skills. Just hunting monsters, not bears.
© Klint Keown 2021
